This invention relates generally to food processing, particularly meat processing and tracking carcasses during meat production. More particularly, the invention relates to methods and devices for identifying and tracking a carcass on a production line during commercial meat production.
During commercial meat production, a beef carcass is subjected to a number of different procedures. The animal is first slaughtered, its hide is removed from the carcass, and the carcass is washed. The carcass may also be steam pasteurized, and the carcass may also be subjected to an electrical stimulation process. During commercial meat production, the carcass may be attached to a trolley or shackle at different points in the meat processing line. The carcass then travels along the meat processing line and is subjected to a number of processes, including those identified above as well as weighing of the carcass and removal of the some portions of the carcass. The carcasses are also inspected at a number of locations along the meat processing line, and certain information regarding carcasses may be recorded at the inspection locations. In addition, portions of the carcass that have been removed, such as the viscera, may be inspected to ensure that the animal was healthy at the time of slaughter
During commercial meat production, it is common to track and identify meat carcasses while on the meat production line. Carcasses are tracked for a variety of reasons, including to monitor the efficiency of the meat production facility and to identify and monitor carcasses to ensure that meat has been safely handled and processed. In addition, carcasses may be tracked during meat production so that certain information may be accumulated and maintained while the carcass is in the meat production facility. This information may include the weight of the carcass, the specific type of animal from which the carcass was derived, data about the source of the animal (e.g., breeder, ranch location, etc.), and any other information that may be tracked for the carcass. This information may be used for a variety of purposes, including ensuring that meat has been properly aged, aiding in sorting carcasses before the carcasses are broken down into meat products for packaging, and tracking carcass information back to the producer of the animal or tracking carcass information from the farm to the packaged meat. In addition, information about carcasses that impact the price of the meat, such as quality and cutability, may be collected at different locations in the plant.
Meat producers have therefore instituted tracking systems in meat processing plants. By having a unique identifier for each carcass that enters the meat processing line, the carcasses may be tracked such that it can be determined that each carcass has been subjected to each procedure on the meat processing line (e.g., steam pasteurization, washing, and trimming).
Tracking systems known in the prior art and commonly used in the meat processing industry have a number of disadvantages. Some of these disadvantages are related to the adverse environment of a meat processing plant. Vision-based systems or trolley readers, which are frequently used in meat processing plants, often are difficult to maintain. The TrolleyVision® system by Automated Systems Technologies & Design is an example of one such vision-based system. Some vision-based systems use a hole pattern design engraved or attached to a shackle, which may be attached to an animal carcass while on the meat processing line. Such vision-based systems may become covered or clogged with particles from the meat production facility and may therefore require a substantial amount of cleaning or maintenance. Another disadvantage with such a tracking procedure is that the identification system is typically on the shackle or trolley that is attached directly to the carcass. Some meat production facilities use an intermediate captive trolley or shackle, and, in such systems, the animal carcass may be removed from a first trolley or shackle and transferred to a second trolley or shackle along the production line. The tracking system itself or information captured about the carcass while the carcass is attached to the first trolley or shackle, therefore, will need to transferred to the second trolley or shackle after the transfer of the carcass. In meat production facilities using such a system, it may therefore be obtrusive and inefficient to carry identification information on a shackle or trolley.
Identification systems that attach identification information directly to the carcass with a pin are also known in the prior art. A tag or label with a bar code to be used as an identification system, for instance, could be pinned directly to the carcass. Such systems, however, have the disadvantages of being inordinately time consuming to attach and there is a possibility that the pin may separate from the carcass during processing, causing the carcass to lose its identification. Because of the harsh environmental conditions in a meat processing facility, such as varying temperatures, moisture, air currents, and mechanical shock, a portion of the identifications for carcasses may be lost during meat processing if this procedure is used.
A need exists in the art for methods and devices for identifying and tracking carcasses during commercial meat production that are convenient, efficient, reliable and easy to maintain.